From Startups 100: The Startups 100 list is announced today, identifying the UK’s most innovative, inspiring and ground-breaking new companies.
Startups 100, selected by the startups.co.uk team, celebrates the 100 most exciting, promising, disruptive new businesses and entrepreneurs shaping the start-up market right now. The list includes BookingBug, RateMyPlacement.co.uk and MyDestinationInfo.com; three enterprising business featured on BusinessWings.
Overcoming Obstacles in Sales
From Nazir Daud of CityLocal: Being a successful salesperson isn't a talent that you are born with.
Some people may have the right instincts and personality traits to potentially be good salespeople, but success still depends on learning and putting into practice the right selling techniques.
One of the biggest roadblocks to business sales success is customer objections. When you're not prepared to deal with them, your prospects for sales are bleak. If you take the time to learn positive ways of dealing with and overcoming objections, however, you will see obvious financial benefits.
Business Presentation Tips
From Nazir Daud of CityLocal: In business, like in life, presentation is important.
Your customers' perception of your sales staff, your back-office staff and yourbrand help to mould how they perceive your business, and their likelihood of doing business with you.
How to Close a Sale
From Nazir Daud from CityLocal: How confident are you when the time comes to close the sale?
One of the most consequential factors at play that can contribute to a successful closing, and possibly understanding when you should move on, has to be the leverage and confidence you posses when going into a sale.
14 Year Old Entrepreneur Becomes Millionaire
From Splashnology: A British teen from Corby, Northamptonshire made his first million pounds after starting his business at the age of 14.
Christian Owens lives with his parents, company secretary Alison, 43 and factory worker dad Julian, 50. He got his first computer at the age of seven. Three years later he got a Mac and started to learn web design.
Duncan Bannatyne Works with Dragons’ Den Entrepreneur
Now in its fifth year, the business brains from Dragons’ Den have not forgotten past entrepreneurs as Duncan Bannatyne proved with his recent trip to Razzamataz Theatre School.
Founder and director of Razzamataz in Carlisle, Denise Hutton-Gosney, first appeared on the show in 2007 and after her dynamic pitch, caught the attention of Bannatyne who went on to offer her the full investment.
Unique Businesses For Sale; Global Business Opportunities
Fancy owning a Dracula theme park in Romania, or maybe a UK pub poker league?
Check out these unique businesses for sale around the world.
Funky Festival Catering Business For Sale >>
Berkshire, UK
£40,000
Unique Punk Rock Dogg Apparel Business For Sale >>
Pennsylvania, USA
$50,000
Exclusive Dinner In The Sky Business For Sale >>
Gauteng, South Africa
R1,700,000
Wrinkle Removing Clinics And Franchise Package In Poland For Sale >>
Warszawa, Poland
$1,500,000
10 Tips for Starting a Business That Will Succeed
By About.com: Small business expert, Susan Ward, offers some great advice on starting a business and how to ensure it's a success.
Following the advice below will make starting a business a smoother, less stressful process and go a long way towards ensuring the business you start lasts and thrives.
Apprenticeships; The Do’s and Don’ts
By the National Apprenticeship Service (NAS): Summer holiday's may see some chilling on a beach, but for those who’ve just left school and are stepping into the world of work as an apprentice, this time of year is anything but relaxing.
In fact, while incredibly exciting it can also be very nerve racking.
Getting something wrong in the classroom may result in a bad grade or detention. But for new apprentices getting it wrong at work could impact on your customers, your boss, and your organisation.
The transition is a big one. So to help all those new apprentices just about to start work, our young Apprenticeship ambassadors have teamed up to create some top tips on how to get the very best start - and on wowing the boss.
Franchise Award Announces Finalists
A shortlist of 16 franchisees from across the UK have been drawn up for the prestigious bfa HSBC Franchisee of the Year Awards 2010.
Operating in sectors as diverse as automotive, fast food, home improvement and lettings, the finalists encapsulate the best qualities in franchising.
They will now pitch to the bfa judging panel of Sir Bernard Ingham, president of the bfa, Brian Smart, general director of the bfa, Cathryn Hayes, HSBC’s head of franchising, Paul Monaghan, director of The Franchise Development Centre and Hannah Poulton, associate of the Franchise Team.
How To Find a Freelancer
By OfficeCavalry.com: Office Cavalry is changing the way businesses find and work with freelancers.
They show thier hand by launching a teaser website showing how the portal will ensure freelancers maximise their experience and skills, without reducing their fee potential or quality of service.
The site claims it “will change the way businesses find and work with freelancers”, and provides more information about how the fully deployed site will work.
In the recovering economy, it is predicted that there will be over 10% unemployment in some areas of the UK. One of the ways the government is attempting to reduce these figures is by encouraging self-employment through tax breaks. It is expected that the combination of more demand for flexible workers and these tax breaks will encourage freelancing in the UK.
Government Support Startups Award
Entries are now being taken for The Startups Awards 2010, which acknowledges the best fledgling businesses the UK has to offer.
Despite cuts across the board, overall, UK business is seeing a positive change thanks to the new Government. Tax breaks, including extended relief on the increase in Capital Gains Tax and National Insurance have been introduced and considerable interest in UK SMEs expressed, with a ‘hands-on’ approach to understanding this integral part of our economy.
10 Tips For First-time Entrepreneurs
By Scott Gerber of Entrepreneur.com: There are far too few resources directly addressing the nonacademic trials and tribulations young entrepreneurs face along their journey.
Whenever possible, I encourage up-and-comers and established entrepreneurs to mentor the next generation of dream-seekers, for it is this insight and insider education that will provide the foundation for the entrepreneurs of tomorrow.
With that, here are 10 pieces of advice that I wish someone had given to me before I launched my first venture.
Graduate Entrepreneurship Boosts Economy
The National Council for Graduate Entrepreneurship (NCGE) newly formed University Enterprise Network is on target to create 204 new businesses.
NCGE was set up in 2004 to cultivate entrepreneurship in higher education. It does this by helping graduates to start a business through a number of programmes and by helping universities embed entrepreneurship.
The NCGE recently announced the results of extensive independent evaluation into the impact of its programmes. The programme is currently mentoring and supporting 3,550 graduate businesses and the evaluators estimated that 71% of these graduates either wouldn’t be starting a business or have started the process earlier than anticipated.
Event; Starting an Ethical Business
EcoChic Collection invites entreprenuers to their Ethical Fashion Network, in Hove, East Sussex.
A love of style and a passion for ethical business has driven the creative director of EcoChic Collection, Deborah Miarkowska to launch the first Ethical Fashion Network for the South East.
The first network will be held Monday 20th September 2010, 7.30pm-10pm, hosted by La Fourchette Patisserie, purveyors of fine dining.
HSBC Offers Entrepreneurs a Chance to Win £100,000
HSBC is offering the UK's best business thinkers and entrepreneurs the chance to win a personal reward of up to £100,000 each.
HSBC has long been committed to supporting the growth of UK businesses. Now with Business Thinking 2010, SMEs have a chance to win a share in £90 million of lending plus a personal reward.
In addition, selected entrants will be given the opportunity to meet like-minded business leaders on a Thought Exchange trip to China, the Americas or Europe.
They'll travel as our guests to the world's most dynamic areas of economic growth to exchange ideas and enjoy networking and business development opportunities. Six companies from each of the nine UK regions will be selected for this once in a lifetime opportunity.
With only one day left to enter the competition, click here for more information.
World Cup 2010; How to Manage Employees
By Broadbandgenie: As football fans across the UK enjoy watching 2010's World Cup in South Africa, the internet has never been such a temptation in the workplace.
With games on at 12.30pm and 3pm for the next two weeks, and broadband as common in workplaces now as paper clips, what are employers - and employees - meant to do to keep the work-footy balance from slipping into a disciplinary hearing?
Energy Efficient Businesses Can Save Money
By John Osborne at BSI Training: John Osborne encourages organisations to think of energy management as business critical for cost reasons, but equally important as a means to embed sustainability and change across a workforce.
Improving energy efficiency within a business can provide a number of real benefits. Not only will it help to reduce impact on the environment, but it will also save money.
How to Market Your Business
By Travis Campbell from Marketing Professor: Every small business marketer wants to be intentional about their marketing — ideally, marketers should have a marketing calendar.
Truth is, many organisations do not.
The following ideas work around any time of year, but help when they are tied to significant dates or celebrations. Your results may vary, but most of these are fairly easy to do. If you pick one or two of these, and do them well, it could change how your business finishes the year.
Fuel Cost Savings For Franchisees
Franchisees have been shown how to find the best way to cut fuel costs, with ‘Six Golden Rules’ revealed by The Fuelcard People.
Steve Clarke, general manager, says: “Franchisees who know that fuel cards cut costs may not realise that fuel cards are not all the same. It makes a difference which one they choose and, with some suppliers offering similar cards, picking the right provider can be vital.”
